Trinity Gulfport (A Global Methodist Church)
Associate Pastor – Emphasis on Discipleship/Spiritual Formation
Full-Time
PURPOSE: To preach, teach, shepherd, and make disciples; to give particular oversight to discipleship and spiritual formation ministries.
Position Summary
The Trinity Associate Pastor is primarily responsible for assisting the Senior Pastor in providing biblical preaching and teaching, spiritual leadership, pastoral care, oversight to the Trinity congregation, and assisting in expanding Christ’s kingdom through evangelism and discipleship. This person will work collaboratively with lay volunteers and ministry staff to develop and implement Trinity's vision and overall mission. Specifically, this position is responsible for the overall development and oversight of adult spiritual formation at Trinity through a discipleship pathway.
Passion
We seek an individual who loves God and God’s people and honors God’s word. The Associate Pastor will desire to proclaim the gospel of Christ, see lives transformed, and equip people for ministry and making a difference in our community and world. Our ideal candidate will possess a deep sense of call to the spiritual development and Christian formation of men, women, and families.
Character
The Associate Pastor must be a person growing in the grace of God with a deepening relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ; regularly pursuing patterns to that end, such as personal Bible study, prayer, worship, accountability, biblical stewardship, etc. The Associate Pastor will demonstrate character through integrity, humility, personal responsibility, and hard work and will also deliberately seek to maintain wisdom and balance in life (personal health, family, finances, relationships, and work).
Qualifications and Experience
- A passionate love for Jesus Christ demonstrated through faith and obedience to God’s Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
- Ability to preach and teach; communicate biblical and evangelistic messages. Experience in teaching/preaching preferred.
- Possess good oral and written communication skills.
- Outstanding interpersonal skills and relational IQ. Excellent listening skills.
- A desire to minister to people.
- Ability to build teams and delegate responsibilities.
- Works well with others and within a team.
- Must be comfortable in both traditional and contemporary worship settings.
- College degree (Master’s degree preferred).
- Experience working on church ministry (staff) team preferred.
- Alignment with Trinity on the essential Christian doctrines (statement of faith).
Responsibilities and Duties
- Support the ministry of the Senior Pastor.
- Inspire, motivate, and strategically lead programs designed to bring about our people's growth and spiritual maturity.
- Direct all adult discipleship ministries. Develop biblical content, systems, and processes for a discipleship pathway and leadership pipeline.
- Partner with our Children’s and Youth Pastors to create a seamless discipleship strategy.
- Develop and coordinate a connection process (new guests, next steps, water baptism, membership, and serving).
- Cultivate relationships, manage the spiritual needs of members of the church.
- Serve as an active and contributing member of the church staff.
- Participate in planning, vision and programming of church as a whole.
- Attend staff meetings, church council meetings, and any other meetings as directed by the Senior Pastor.
- Be an active and cooperative partner with church staff and other ministry teams to accomplish church-wide ministry goals.
- Act as a pastoral resource to the congregation and community including visitation, counseling, weddings, funerals, counseling, etc., as needed.
- Functions collaboratively with the Trinity leadership team and actively participates in the life of the congregation and local community.
- Act as a resource to lay volunteers.
- Assist other staff as necessary in the successful completion of regular worship events and special events.
- Assist church staff in recruiting, training, coordinating, and supervising lay volunteers.
- Perform administrative duties such as compiling reports, preparing expense reports, and completing purchasing orders, as required.
- Commit to ongoing skill development through training opportunities/conferences.
